And
then farewell religion and liberties.

_Objection 2_: The most part of these who were formerly malignant, have
now repented of that sin, and make profession of their resolution to
adhere to the covenant and cause of God, and to bestow their lives and
estates in defence thereof. Therefore they are not now to be esteemed
malignants.

_Answer_: We would wish from our hearts that we had no answer to this
argument; then should we yield the point in hand, and yield it cheerfully,
that there is no malignant party now in Scotland. But, alas! that we have
so much evidence convincing our consciences and persuading them to deny
what is objected. We acknowledge some have indeed repented, and such we
desire to embrace and receive with all tenderness and love, as godly
Christians, worthy to be intrusted. But yet the most part of them do still
bring forth the same malignant fruits. Their ungodly and wicked practices
testify to their face that they have nothing to do to take his covenant in
their mouth, seeing they hate to be reformed. The late rising in arms,
contrary to their solemn and particular engagements, their bearing down
and reproaching the godly, and such as are of known integrity, their
studying to fill places of trust with men formerly enemies or underminers,
their continuing in their profane and loose walking,--all these are more
convincing evidences of their retaining their old principles than any
extorted confessions or professions, for sinister respects and ends can be
no probable signs of their repentance and change.

We desire these things to be remembered, 1: That the Engagement(341) was
carried on, not by open and professed enemies, but such as had made public
profession of their repentance, and were thereupon admitted to trust. 2.
That upon consideration of the hypocrisy and instability of these men
appearing in that and other particulars, the kirk and kingdom of Scotland
did take upon themselves strait bonds and engagements to exclude such from
trust, until such time as they had given real evidences of the reality of
their repentance, and of abandoning their former principles and ways, of
which the kirk was to judge impartially as in God's sight. 3. That it hath
been confessed and preached by many godly ministers, and was given in by
sundry in the time of the search of the Lord's controversy against the
land, in November last at Perth, and hath been bemoaned and regretted by
many of the people who feared G